Within the larger context of traveling to and from a field trip, students will
develop observation skills by noting a great variety of things and recording
such observations on the worksheet.

Rationale:

There is that saying, "You can't see the forest for the trees", which means we
often fail to pick things out, or look at them, because they are lost within
something bigger. This activity involves looking for a lot of things, some
familiar and some not, some we have seen before and some not, and some we never
noticed before, even though they have always been there. Looking for such
things specifically will help us to see even more of what there is to be seen
while traveling to and touring a natural area.

Directions:

For this activity, while traveling to the site, have students in each bus seat
work as a team. The one by the window is the observer and the other is the
recorder. The observer names as many different things as he/she sees along the
route, and the recorder writes those down in the column provided. Later, they
check their list against the things named in the other column, and connect them
with lines.

To make it more interesting, have students fold the activity sheet using only
the entry blank portion and at the completion of the trip, check it against the
things listed.

NOTE: The teacher should make her own list corresponding to the route the class
will travel. The checklist is given as an example.

For the second activity, at the site, students could work individually or in
pairs. String the class out, and proceed slowly along a selected trail. Stop
frequently to allow students to look for the things listed. Allow them, if
conditions permit, to go off the trail a short distance (several yards) to look
for things. At the conclusion of this tour, you could summarize class
observations by tallying on a master sheet how many individuals or teams did see
the things listed.
Meanwhile, back in class, have students write a short paragraph about this trip.
They could tell (write about) what they liked or disliked about it; what was the
most interesting thing they saw and why. What was the most useful thing to them
as persons? Why?

E-39

E. T.

WHAT I SAW JUST LOOKING AROUND

A. On the way

CHECKLIST OF POSSIBLE THINGS

1. An airplane

2. A bananaquit

3. A gravel truck

4. A fishing boat

5. A parking lot

6. A drug store

7. A bicycle

8. A dog

9. A cat

10. Herd of cows

11. A horse

12. Any red truck

13. A red car

14. A schoolhouse

15. A barbed wire fence

16. A fire station

17. A station wagon

18. A motorcycle

19. An unpainted house

20. A gravel road

21. A plowed field

22. A sign that says Airport

23. A sign that says Hospital

24. Another school bus

LIST OF THINGS WE SAW ON THE WAY

E. T. E-39
Name
WHAT I SAW JUST LOOKING AROUND

B. Nature Site

1. Look for insects on a tree. What color?
Large or small?

Look for insects on the ground. What color?
Large or small?

Look for insects in the water. What color?
Large or small?

2. Did you see any seeds? Large or small? Where were they? If they were
moving, what made them move?
Name some kinds of seeds you saw.

3. Did you see any animal tracks?
Who made them?

4. Did you see a spider web? To what was it attached?

5. Did you see any moss? Where was it?

6. Turn over a rock. Did anything move underneath?
What was it?

7. What sounds do you hear?

8. Did you see any plants having a hard time growing?
What was hard for them?

9. When you were walking, where was it the noisiest?
Where was it the quietest?

10. What color is the sky today?

11. Do you see any clouds? If so, are they high or low? Are they scattered
or in puffy masses?

12. Are most of the trees short or tall?
Close together?

13. What colors do you see in the leaves?

14. Did you see any living animals? If so, what?
Where was the animal or animals?

E. T.

WHAT I SAW JUST LOOKING AROUND

15. Did you see any bodies of water?
Did you see anything living in it?